TAKE A DEEP BREATH

Mike Maher
  • 4.8 (76)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

An entire podcast dedicated to Breathwork, Breathing, and The Power of Your Breath. Join Mike Maher as he talks to the worlds leading experts, scientists, yoga instructors, and explorers of this thing we call The Breath.

  1. Oct 15

    #140 Vikki & Jackie - Why You're Always Tired (And What Actually Helps)

    Free Resources: 🎁 Download the Periodic Table of Breathwork (Usually $99) 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/periodic-table-youtube Work With Me: 🌿 Heal Your Nervous System At Your Own Pace - a self-paced course to fix chronic stress 👉 https://www.skool.com/breathe/about 🧘 1:1 Coaching - personalised support to fit your life 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/121-breath-coaching Today's Podcast: Today's guests are Jackie and Vikki, two breathwork educators who have both experienced the life-changing effects of Long COVID and now help others living with Long COVID, ME/CFS and chronic fatigue. In this episode, we explore why so many people feel constantly exhausted, the connection between breathing and the nervous system, and why rest alone isn't always enough. We also discuss their personal recovery journeys, the importance of listening to your body, and simple, practical strategies that may help support recovery. 👉  Connect with Jackie & Vikki here: https://longcovidbreathing.com/shop1 Chapters: 00:00 Why You're Always Tired – Long COVID & Fatigue 01:01 Can Breathwork Help Chronic Fatigue? 03:36 How Poor Breathing Affects Energy and Sleep 06:43 Can Breathing Help You Recover from Long COVID? 08:59 How Your Nervous System Affects Recovery 13:38 Chronic Fatigue, Vagus Nerve & Hidden Symptoms 17:43 Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System 21:52 Fight, Flight, Freeze & Chronic Fatigue Crashes 27:19 Why Rest and Recovery Are So Important 30:36 Breathing Mechanics vs CO2 Tolerance 35:22 Why Everyone Needs a Different Breathing Approach 40:31 Breathlessness, Air Hunger & Long COVID 44:10 The Invisible Reality of Chronic Fatigue 48:36 Practical Tips for Long COVID Recovery 52:02 Five Common Themes in Recovery Storiestbc

  2. Oct 8

    #139 JJ Virgin - Why You Can't Lose Fat: The Truth About Weight Loss

    Watch this on YouTube here Free Resources: 🎁 Download the Periodic Table of Breathwork (Usually $99) 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/periodic-table-youtube Work With Me: 🌿 Stressed? Fix Your Breathing for Lasting Calm: 👉 https://www.skool.com/breathe/about 🧘 Prefer 1:1 Coaching? - personalised support to fit your life 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/121-breath-coaching Today’s guest is JJ Virgin, a triple-board-certified nutrition expert, Fitness Hall of Famer, four-time New York Times bestselling author and Nutrition & Fitness Speaker for Tony Robbins. Expect to learn why trying to lose weight may actually be the wrong place to start, how muscle changes your metabolism, what you should really be tracking, why steps matter so much, how much protein you need, how to train for muscle, what causes stress eating and binges, and the step-by-step plan JJ gave me to lose fat without sacrificing muscle. Connect with JJ and learn more about her work here: https://jjvirgin.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Why This Became My Most Personal Podcast 01:08 The Biggest Fat-Loss Mistake 08:17 Why Calorie Tracking Keeps Falling Apart 13:43 The Metabolism Lever Most People Ignore 17:36 What to Track Instead of Just Body Weight 23:45 JJ Audits My Real Diet 28:07 The “Fat + Carb Bomb” Problem 32:25 How to Structure High-Protein Meals 36:37 How to Feel Full Without Overeating 39:19 How to Actually Build Muscle 43:53 Stress Eating, Binges & Trigger Foods 53:00 JJ Builds My Fat-Loss Plan

  3. Oct 1

    #138 The HRV Masterclass: What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You - Dr Jay Wiles

    Today’s guest is Dr Jay Wiles, one of the world’s leading experts in heart rate variability (HRV) and nervous system regulation, working with elite athletes and high performers to improve recovery, resilience, sleep and performance. In this podcast, expect to learn what your HRV score is really telling you, whether you can trust your wearable, how the vagus nerve controls your stress response, how resonance breathing changes HRV, and the practical steps you can take to train a more resilient nervous system. Learn more about Dr Jay and explore Ohm, his personalised HRV biofeedback and resonance-breathing system: https://ohm.health (Use code TADB10 for 10% off.) Free Resources: 🎁 FREE 7-Day Nervous System Reset Course (worth $99, free for a limited time) 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/7-day-reset-signup Work With Me: 🌿 Learn to breathe like a Yogi Master for Effortless Calm 👉 https://www.skool.com/breathe/about 🧘 1:1 Coaching - personalised support to fit your life 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/121-coaching-2026 Listen to this podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zcueBIU1nFKQCeUepR3dw Questions? Email me: take-a-deep-breath@outlook.com 0:00 Why HRV Matters 1:05 What HRV Really Means 5:52 What Low HRV Actually Means 11:23 Can You Trust Your Wearable? 21:17 How Your Nervous System Actually Works 30:34 Do Vagus Nerve Stimulators Work? 34:36 How Resonance Breathing Raises HRV 41:22 Equal Breaths vs Longer Exhales 49:57 Breathing Depth, Humming & HRV Hacks 59:19 The Minimum Dose to Train Your Nervous System 1:10:16 How to Find Your Resonance Breathing Rate 1:13:04 CO2, Sunlight, Grounding & Sauna

  4. Sep 17

    #137 Neuroscientist Explains: WORST vs BEST Dopamine Habits | TJ Power

    Today’s guest is TJ Power, neuroscientist and author of The DOSE Effect. In this podcast, we explore how dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins shape the way we feel, why modern life leaves so many of us overstimulated, and what we can do about it through better habits, breathwork, nature, food and connection. Find out more about TJ here: https://tjpower.co.uk/ Enjoying the podcast? Buy me a coffee and help keep it going ☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/mikemaher Free Resources: 🎁 FREE 7-Day Nervous System Reset Course (worth $99, free for a limited time) 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/7-day-reset-signup 🎁 Try my main Community for FREE for 7 days here: 👉 https://www.skool.com/breathe/about Work With Me: 🌿 Heal Your Nervous System At Your Own Pace - a self-paced course to fix chronic stress 👉 https://www.skool.com/breathe/about 🧘 1:1 Coaching - personalised support to fit your life 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/121-coaching-2026 Listen to this podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zcueBIU1nFKQCeUepR3dw Questions? Email me: take-a-deep-breath@outlook.com Chapters 0:00 Why You Feel So Overstimulated 1:31 The 4 Brain Chemicals Running Your Life 3:34 Breathwork, Serotonin & Your Vagus Nerve 6:50 Why Modern Life Feels So Rushed 12:13 How to Break Your Phone Addiction 19:28 Dopamine Withdrawal & the 15-Minute Boredom Barrier 25:20 What Screens Are Doing to Our Kids 30:53 The Missing Ritual Between Work & Home 34:40 Why Your Brain Won’t Switch Off at Night 40:01 Sunlight, Serotonin & Better Sleep 43:31 Sauna vs Cold: Which Does Your Brain Need? 50:37 How Ultra-Processed Food Hijacks Dopamine 58:33 Why We’re Starving Ourselves of Oxytocin 1:00:44 The Surprising Power of Eye Contact 1:07:29 AI, Relationships & the Future of Our Brains

  5. Sep 10

    #136 Dr Belisa Vranich - Is Your Breathing Making You Sick?

    Watch on YouTube Here Today’s guest is Dr. Belisa Vranich, psychologist, author and TEDx speaker, whose work focuses on breathing mechanics and helping people retrain dysfunctional breathing patterns. Take Dr Belisa's Breathing IQ Test Here: 👉 https://breathingclass.com/biq Free Resources: 🎁 Start Here: FREE 7-Day Nervous System Reset Course (worth $99, free for a limited time) 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/7-day-reset-signup 🎁 Download My Periodic Table of Breathwork (Every Breathing Exercise Mapped) 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/periodic-table-signup Work With Me: 🌿 Heal Your Nervous System At Your Own Pace - a self-paced course to fix chronic stress 👉 https://www.skool.com/breathe/about 🧘 1:1 Coaching - personalised support to fit your life 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/121-coaching-2026 Questions? Email me: take-a-deep-breath@outlook.com Chapters: 0:00 Why 9 in 10 People May Be Breathing Wrong 1:08 Functional vs Dysfunctional Breathing 8:18 How Your Breathing Affects Stress & Anxiety 16:46 A 2-Minute Breathing Reset You Can Do Anywhere 24:04 Why Your Hips & Spine Matter for Breathing 32:24 The Breathing IQ Test: Are You Breathing Properly? 41:52 How to Test Your Breathing Mechanics 49:14 Belly Breathing, Bracing & “Sucking In” Your Gut 58:50 Can You Fix Your Breathing as You Get Older? 1:09:25 How Quickly Can You Retrain Your Breathing? 1:20:05 What to Do Once Your Breathing Is “Fixed” 1:24:11 Sauna, Breathing Devices & Respiratory Training 1:29:06 Is Box Breathing Actually That Powerful?

  6. Sep 3

    #135 Davy Pulkerman: Why You Need Help Breathing (And Don’t Even Know It)

    Today’s guest is Davy Pulkerman, founder of Zippit. After developing Long COVID symptoms, Davy became obsessed with improving his breathing, sleep and energy, eventually creating his own mouth tape and nasal strips. Today, Zippit has more than 100,000 customers. Amazingly, after more than five years of this podcast, this is the first time I’ve sat down with someone who actually makes mouth tape and nasal strips! We get into nasal vs mouth breathing, sleep and snoring, who should and shouldn’t use mouth tape, nasal strips for exercise, and some of the simple things you can do to make breathing through your nose easier. Want to try Zippit? 👉 go-zippit.com Use code TAKEADEEPBREATH15 for 15% off. I’ve personally used Davy’s products and really like them, so if you’ve been curious about mouth tape or nasal strips, have a look. Take part in the mouth-taping study mentioned in the episode: 👉 https://tally.so/r/MeEYdX Free Resources: 🎁 Start Here: FREE 7-Day Nervous System Reset Course (worth $99, free for a limited time) 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/7-day-reset-signup Work With Me: 🌿 Heal Your Nervous System At Your Own Pace - a self-paced course to fix chronic stress and anxiety, on your own time 👉 https://www.skool.com/breathe/about 🧘 1:1 Breathing & Nervous System Reset Coaching - personalised support to fit your life 👉 https://www.takeadeepbreath.co.uk/121-coaching-2026 Chapters: 00:00 Mouth Tape, Nasal Strips & Better Breathing 02:01 Why Nasal Breathing Matters 07:38 Who Should and Shouldn’t Use Mouth Tape? 11:41 Mouth Tape for Snoring, Sleep & Dry Mouth 16:23 Scared of Mouth Taping? Start Here 19:41 The Biggest Mouth Taping Study Yet 20:34 Nasal Strips: Do They Really Increase Airflow? 25:40 Nose vs Mouth Breathing: What’s Actually Best? 27:04 Mouth Tape vs Nasal Strips for Better Sleep 33:31 Why Breathwork Is Exploding

  7. Jul 31

    #134: Nikolina Lauc: Biological Age Expert: This Test Predicts How Long You'll Live

    Curious about your own biological age? You can take the same GlycanAge test I did in this episode and save with our exclusive 10% discount using the link below. https://glycanage.com/shop?discount=TADB In this episode, I sit down with Nicolina Lauc, co-founder of GlycanAge, to explore what your biological age can reveal about your health, stress levels and future longevity. We discuss why some people age faster than others, how chronic stress changes the body, my own GlycanAge results, and the simple habits that may help you live a longer, healthier life. If you're interested in longevity, stress, breathwork or optimising your health, you'll enjoy this conversation. 00:00 Why Your Real Age Isn't Your Birthday 00:55 Meet GlycanAge & Biological Age Testing 05:17 What Is Inflammation, Really? 07:00 Are Telomeres Actually the Best Age Test? 11:12 What Speeds Up Biological Age? 13:19 ADHD, Stress & Living Longer 18:19 Mike's GlycanAge Test Results 23:48 What Your Glycan Results Really Mean 28:37 Sleep, Stress & VO₂ Max 32:28 The Biggest Things That Slow Ageing 36:54 Health Anxiety & Biohacking 40:39 Childhood Trauma & Biological Age 44:33 Breathwork, PTSD & Healing 47:42 Can Breathing Slow Ageing? 52:41 Nature, EMFs & Modern Living 54:48 Blue Zones & Why Some People Live Longer 1:01:40 Is Lung Capacity the Best Predictor of Longevity? 1:02:42 The Best Anti-Inflammatory Diet 1:07:36 PTSD, Hypervigilance & Sleep 1:11:44 How to Get Your Biological Age Tested 1:13:39 Final Thoughts

  8. Jul 17

    #133 Meditation Expert: Why Your Mind Won't Shut Up | Ariel Garten, Muse Co Founder

    In today's episode, we welcome back Ariel Garten, co-founder of Muse. Ariel is a neuroscientist and former psychotherapist whose brain-sensing technology is used by NASA, the Mayo Clinic, and hundreds of thousands of everyday meditators worldwide. In this conversation, we discuss why meditation feels so hard to stick with, what's actually happening in your brain during those first few weeks of practice, and how to teach even young kids to self-regulate with their breath. We also get into why silence can feel so uncomfortable, whether you can trust your own thoughts, and Ariel's take on using meditation to sit with physical pain rather than fight it. Want to try Muse? It's a headband that reads your brain activity in real time while you meditate, so instead of guessing whether you're doing it right, you get instant feedback that guides you back to focus. Get 15% off Muse at https://choosemuse.com/tadb 0:00 – The Problem With Meditation 3:07 – What Meditation Does To Your Brain 5:23 – Muse vs Meditating Alone 8:09 – Teaching Kids To Meditate 13:10 – The Fear Of Silence 16:15 – Does Location Matter? 17:47 – Can You Trust Your Thoughts? 20:42 – Talking Back To Your Inner Critic 23:05 – Sitting Still vs Walking Meditation 26:20 – Meditation In A Crisis 28:21 – Is Pain Good Or Bad? 36:28 – How Muse Improves Your Sleep Want to try Muse? It's a headband that reads your brain activity in real time while you meditate, so instead of guessing whether you're doing it right, you get instant feedback that guides you back to focus. Get 15% off Muse at https://choosemuse.com/tadb

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4.8
out of 5
76 Ratings

About

An entire podcast dedicated to Breathwork, Breathing, and The Power of Your Breath. Join Mike Maher as he talks to the worlds leading experts, scientists, yoga instructors, and explorers of this thing we call The Breath.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Maher
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    141
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 TAKE A DEEP BREATH
  • Show Website
    TAKE A DEEP BREATH

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